Mayor Landrieu calls emergency City Council meeting to discuss cost of consent decrees

March 27, 2013

NEW ORLEANS, LA—Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu called an emergency meeting of the New Orleans City Council to be held tomorrow, March 28, at 10:00am in Council Chambers to discuss the dire financial consequences of the proposed Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) consent decree.

“It is clear the taxpayers cannot afford both the NOPD and OPSO consent decrees at the same time,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “It is important for the public to know the crippling consequences the City faces if we are forced to write the Sheriff a blank check.”

City Attorney Richard Cortizas and Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin will update the Council on the pending litigation and various budget cut scenarios.

Mayor Landrieu has requested that the DOJ drop its demand for an immediate, increased appropriation in favor of a thoughtful approach to better manage OPSO’s current operations. The City of New Orleans is a third party in a federal lawsuit against the Orleans Parish Prison. The funding decision ultimately rests with the federal court in pending litigation.

The public notice for the meeting can be found here .
The meeting agenda can be found here.